Politics
JUST IN: Trump Makes Bold Maneuver To Boost Flow Of Oil To US
President Donald Trump is temporarily suspending a key U.S. shipping rule as the Iran conflict tightens its grip on global energy markets.
The White House confirmed Wednesday that Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, the century-old law requiring goods shipped between U.S. ports to travel on American-built, American-owned vessels crewed mostly by U.S. citizens.
The move is aimed at easing pressure as oil prices surge and supply routes get squeezed.
“President Trump’s decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on X. “This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days, and the Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains.”
The decision comes as the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, is effectively shut down amid escalating tensions with Iran. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply typically moves through the narrow waterway, but Iranian threats against ships have pushed prices above $100 per barrel.
Even with prices climbing and calls from Washington, U.S. allies have declined to join military efforts to secure the strait.
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Trump took aim at those countries in a Wednesday post on Truth Social.
About 20% of the world’s oil supply crosses the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran. The Iranian Regime is threatening to attack any vessels that cross the Strait without permission.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?’ (sic) That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!” Trump wrote.
Supporters of the Jones Act argue the law strengthens national security and protects the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
Critics say it’s outdated, drives up costs, and limits flexibility in moments like this.
The law has been waived before during emergencies, including after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, when officials rushed to move fuel and supplies between U.S. ports.
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